Sunday, September 07, 2008

Mica

IOC: 1996
Total Production: 3,000

Mica RF

Origin:France

Contractor/s: MBDA

Description: The Mica missile has been designed to meet the requirements of the French Air Force for an advanced fire-and-forget air-to-air missile capable of medium and short range engagements. The Mica missiles are suitable for close-in dogfight combat, while they can engage multiple targets beyond the visual range. It can operate in heavy countermeasures environments.

The Mica missile features 2 seekers and its own ECCM (Mica RF and IR ECCMs are different). The Mica RF is provided with an active radar homing head and the Mica IR is provided with an infrared imagery homing head. The Mica IR is an stealth missile due to its passive infrared sensor. The target coordinates are transferred from the aircraft's sensors to the Mica missile before launching. Once fired, the Mica missile depends on the Inertial Navigation System target information can be updated from the launching aircraft via an uplink. In the terminal phase the RF/IR seeker is fully responsible for target acquisition and interception.

The Mica also features a high maneuverability due to thrust vector control and effective tail control surfaces. Mica's blast fragmentation warhead detonates by proximity or direct impact.

The Mica RF is in service with the Air Forces of Taiwan, Qatar, France, United Arab Emirates and Greece. The Mica RF missile is the weapon of choice for air-to-air engagements of the Mirage 2000-5, Mirage 2000-9 and Rafale aircraft.

Specifications
Dimensions: Diameter 160 mm, Length 3.1 m

Weights: Max Weight 112 kg (247 lb), Warhead 12 kg (26.5 lb)

Performance: Max Range 60,000 m (196,850 ft), Min Range 500 m (1,640 ft), Top Speed 1,328 mps (Mach 4)

Family Members:
Mica IR Applications
Gowind 200, Khareef, Mirage 2000-5, Rafale B, Rafale C, Rafale M, Vertical Launch Mica, Vertical Launch Mica News
Rafale Standard F3 Achieves Operational Qualification

Mica Performs Successful Firing from a French Air Force Rafale F2

VL Mica Air Defense System Gets Green Light

MBDA and Bharat Dynamics Limited Strengthen Cooperation at Aero India 2005

Hellenic Air Force Orders Mica and Scalp EG Missiles

Operators

see operators map | see family operators map

France

Greece

Oman

Qatar

Taiwan

United Arab Emirates

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Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Sunday, August 24, 2008

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